Elvis in Las Vegas- The King- 40 years gone

August 1, 2009

The billboards went up months before. Just the words Elvis and the International Hotel. Everyone knew what that meant. Elvis Presley was returning to Las Vegas to perform for the first time since his less-than stellar gig at the New Frontier Hotel in 1956.

He had married Priscilla Beaulieu at the old Aladdin Hotel in 1967. He enjoyed coming to Las Vegas to see various performers over the years but hadn't been a headliner in town since 1956.

His television comeback, "Elvis: One Night with You" had been a ratings smash. Dressed in black leather and looking tanned and rested, he had reminded the viewing audience that despite a string of marginal musical films and a couple of really good ones, he still had that magic and power.

Kirk Kekorian was putting the finishing touches on his new hotel, the International (today, the Las Vegas Hilton). He wanted the top of pyramid performers for his new hotel. While the hotel was under construction, the Las Vegas News Bureau filmed Presley signing the contract with Kekorian.

We knew Elvis would be coming, we just didn't know when. Until the billboards went up. That was May, 1969. Barbra Streisand was scheduled to open the new International in July. Elvis would follow her and Kerkorian had him booked for month.

The International was the new hotel in town. The first built since Caesars Palace. Kerkorian had sold the Flamingo and taken much of the staff from there with him to the International. He wanted the hotel to be the premiere vacation spot in town.

Ike and Tina Turner were booked in the lounge. Streisand's name went up on the marquee. Streisand. But in our home and countless other homes around Las Vegas and around the world, the name that mattered most was Elvis.

My folks, my mother especially, were big Elvis fans. Had been since his debut back in the 1950s. They loved his brand of rock and roll and we had all his albums and all his 45s. When Elvis was shooting "Viva Las Vegas" back in the early 1960s in town, my dad had gotten off work from the Golden Gate and stood outside on Fremont Street to watch Elvis go by in his race car. They had shared drinks with Elvis in the lounge at the Flamingo a few years before when Fats Domino was headlining. Another man at the bar was making racist comments about Fats. My folks who liked Fats' music alot told the man to shut up. He refused. A voice from the back of the bar told the man to shut up. He refused. My dad and Elvis got the guy to shut up and my folks spent the rest of Fats' set drinking with Elvis. When the set was over, Fats came over and joined them. I have the autographed cocktail napkin from that night.

So, Elvis coming to perform in our town was big news. That he was coming in August was important. My mother's 30th birthday was in August. My dad worked two jobs to save enough money to take her (and me) to the dinner show to celebrate. The opening night was already sold out but we had reservations for later in August.

My mother went through her wardrobe looking for the perfect dress to wear. This was still the era when you got dressed up to go out to see a show on the Strip. My dad could wear the one good suit he had. She decided that we both needed new outfits.

The International Hotel had the largest showroom in town. My mother was a showroom waitress at Caesars so we had a pretty good idea of the lay-out of the room. There were the banquet tables down front, Kings Row where celebrities of the day often sat and then rows of plush booths.

We would sit in a booth, the area in front of the stage being out of grasp, my dad did not have that kind of money to tip the maitre' d.

We read about the big opening night in the paper.

Elvis had an orchestra and a gospel group, one of the best around, the Sweet Inspirations. The audience of over 2,000 included his former co-star Ann-Margaret, Pat Boone, Angie Dickinson, Henry Mancini and Fats Domino. He received a standing ovation when he walked out on stage.

Cary Grant was a well-wisher backstage that night.

Newsweek reported, ""There are several unbelievable things about Elvis, but the most incredible is his staying power in a world where meteoric careers fade like shooting stars."

Rolling Stone wrote that "Presley to be "supernatural, his own resurrection", while Variety proclaimed him a "superstar".

At a press conference after his opening show, when a reporter referred to him as "The King", Presley pointed to Fats Domino, standing at the back of the room. "No," he said, "that’s the real king of rock and roll."

According the Las Vegas Sun's history site:

The day after Elvis opened, Alex Shoofey, the International’s then-vice president and future president, sat in the showroom drinking coffee with Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

Noting the successful opening night, Shoofey appeared unhappy because Elvis had signed only a two-week-per-year contract at the new resort. Shoofey offered to extend the singer’s contract then and there. Parker hesitated, cautioning Shoofey to wait and see how the next couple of weeks played.

“I’ll take that chance right now,” Shoofey said. He then scribbled a new pact on the tablecloth, a common practice in the old casino days of shaking hands and having a cup of coffee. Elvis’ contract was extended for five years.

We went to see Elvis in August, 1969. It was a rare night out, just the three of us with my younger brother at home with a baby sitter. He was still too young to go out to show. It was a Saturday night dinner show. My dad had tipped the maitre d' and we had a nice comfy booth with a good view of the stage. The menu had a cut-out on the cover and a picture of Elvis from "Flaming Star". Somewhere, I still have that menu.

The show that night was tremendous. I think my dad spent most the evening watching my mother and enjoying how much she was loving the evening.

I think back to that summer when I remember my dad. How hard he had to work in order to be able to take us out for a special evening and how important it was that my mother spend her 30th birthday with the King.

We never went to see Elvis again. My parents were hell-bent on saving money for a new house and a better life.

Elvis played Vegas twice a year, every winter and every August. There would always be time later to see him again.

Or so they thought.

We have the album from 1969, Elvis in Person at the International Hotel. It's a great double album set that includes one album recorded at the International and another recorded at RCA studios in Memphis to remind us of that evening.

I'm forever grateful that we got to see him in his prime, before the pills, before the yo-yo dieting left him large and not able to perform at the top of his game, before the jokes.

And for that, I thank my dad.

Fluff LeCoque - Master of Jubilee - Q &A

July 30, 2009

As we get ready to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the King's comeback in Las Vegas, it's both sad and poignant to note that shows revolving around beautiful showgirls are all but a thing of the past. Forty years ago when Elvis came roaring back into town other must see shows included the Lido de Paris at the Stardust, the Casino de Paris at the Dunes, Pzzazz 69 at the Desert Inn and the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana. A few years later, Donn Arden- the man who had taken the idea of the showgirl revue to such heights raised the bar with "Hallelujah Hollywood!" at the original MGM Grand.

Today, Donn Arden is a distant memory to many who remember his name at all and all those shows are memories, too. But Arden's last show, "Jubilee", which took the place of "Hollywood" at the original MGM is still going strong. The original MGM Grand Hotel may be gone (today it is Bally's) but "Jubilee" and its focus on showgirls is still going strong.

One reason for that is Fluff LeCoque. Fluff started with Donn Arden fifty years ago as a dancer. She became a line captain and over the years became Arden's right hand assistant in all things related to his shows. She continues his tradition and his memory as the head of "Jubilee".

From our pal Jerry Fink at the Las Vegas Sun:

Las Vegas’ glorious, glitzy, glamorous past has atrophied to one show — an elegant topless production that celebrates its 29th birthday Friday.

“Jubilee!” — which features a cast of 80 and tons of feathers, rhinestones and sequined gowns — is the last of the enormous production shows. It was created by the late Donn Arden, who branded Las Vegas with such extravaganzas as “Lido de Paris,” which ran for 31 years at the Stardust, and “Hallelujah, Hollywood.”

Keeping Arden’s legacy alive is Ffolliott “Fluff” LeCoque, a former dancer who turns 86 on Aug. 7. She shows no inclination to make a final curtain call.

LeCoque manages “Jubilee!” with an iron fist wrapped in a velvet glove. She was born in Butte, Mont., where her father worked in copper mines and played baseball in summers. When she was 5 her family moved to Seattle, where she studied ballet, jazz and tap dancing before attending the University of Washington, where she studied acting. She moved to Hollywood and danced in Europe before settling in Las Vegas.

Q: Describe yourself.

I’m a bad loser. I’m determined to have my own way. I’ve always known who I am and what I am. I’m independent and difficult to handle. I like beautiful things. I love gardens. I love flowers. I like the outdoors. I used to be a pretty good athlete. I like people, but I don’t like to be around a bunch of people. I like small gatherings. I never thought I was beautiful, but I’m vain. How do you describe that?

What was your first professional job as a dancer?

It was at a nightclub in Hollywood, Calif. All the movie stars would go there. Now it’s a parking lot.

Did you go to Hollywood to dance or to get into the movies?

I went to the University of Washington where I studied to be an actress. I went to Hollywood to try to get into the movies and to dance on the side — it was something I could work at and make a living at till I got a job in the movies. But my movie career didn’t last long. I was up for the part of Jane in the new Tarzan movie series (starring Lex Barker). I can’t remember the girl who was Jane (Brenda Joyce, who died recently at age 92). Anyway they were casting and I went to see the casting director. He looked at my picture and asked me to stand up and turn around. I did. He said, “I see you’re a dancer.” I had more muscle in those days than girls were supposed to have. He said, “Well, how would you like to teach me how to dance?” I said, “I think you should try out for the part of the gorilla” and left. I didn’t get any callbacks.

Did you ever break into films?

I danced in a couple of movie shorts. I did a film at Moulin Rouge that they still sell today —“Fresh From Paris” (1955), starring Forrest Tucker.

How did you end up in Las Vegas?

After Hollywood I worked at the Thunderbird hotel in Vegas as a dancer. Then I went back to Hollywood, then back to Vegas. Shows then only lasted two or three weeks so I went back and forth a lot. Finally, I wound up in Europe.

How did you meet Donn Arden?

I was a principal dancer in several shows in Europe. He saw me there but we didn’t meet until sometime later. After I returned from Europe I went to New York to his office to audition for the Arden-Fletcher Dancers (Donn Arden/Ron Fletcher). They already knew about me and hired me and I went to Cincinnati to work for Donn, but I still hadn’t met him. Around that time the Desert Inn in Las Vegas was putting in a new stage and they wanted Donn there. Donn’s office asked me if I would go there. The first time I ever met Donn was 1951 or ’52 at the Desert Inn. Those shows didn’t have names in those days. Basically, they were floor shows in a nightclub setting — you would have dinner and then dancing with a full orchestra. They were called floor shows — when people were dancing, the shows would be on sunken floors and when the shows came on, the floors would rise up a little higher. There were never any sets or anything.

What was your relationship with Arden?

He was a very good friend. We were very close. He was a very creative person. He knew what he wanted. He used to yell a lot. He could do it then. You had to respect Donn because he knew exactly what he wanted. That’s why he’s lasted so many years. He never really received the credit he was due. He put shows on that put this town on the map.

When did you quit dancing?

I quit dancing after my last show at the Desert Inn (1966). I was not really dancing then, I was more of a company manager. I was 43 when I quit dancing. Then I basically retired and took up painting. I also did publicity. I was a writer for the Las Vegas Art Museum. I guess about three years went by and they called me to come and manage “Hallelujah Hollywood,” Donn’s show at the old MGM Grand (now Bally’s). I’ve been on this property since 1973 — first with “Hallelujah Hollywood” and since 1981 with “Jubilee!”

As manager, what are your duties? Are you a part-time mother confessor?

Not really so much anymore because of rules and regulations and policies. I’m not as personable as I used to be, not involved in their personal problems as much as I used to be in years gone by. Sometimes I’m like a mother figure to them but my job is to see that they get onstage every night, do what they’re supposed to and to follow the rules and regulations.

How has “Jubilee!” evolved?

It’s pretty much exactly the same. We have changed the opening number. The first production had five segments in it, now there are three. We have changed some numbers in the finale. It hasn’t changed that much.

Would you say it still reflects a Las Vegas that doesn’t exist anymore?

Yes, it does. It’s glamorous. It’s in very good taste. It’s enticing, but not vulgar. Even though we have topless girls, you forget about it after a while. That’s not the focus. It’s really Donn Arden’s ideal. He loved singers, he loved dancers, he loved beautiful women. Everything he did was to make even a pretty girl more beautiful.

What about your job, how has it evolved over the past 28 years?

I can’t yell at the dancers anymore. I used to be able to. I still frighten them. Every time I call them into the office over the loudspeaker, they feel like they’re going into the principal’s office. The job has changed in many ways. Now the computer has taken over. I spend a lot more time on computers than ever had to before. That has given me less time to watch the show, which is why I have a big monitor on the office wall. My assistant, Diane Palm, and I are both on the computer all the time, doing payroll and tracking and keeping records. We have to do all that now. It all goes on computer. That’s the big change. Also, corporate polices. The hotel owns the show so we have to follow their rules and regulations like any employee. We have to be sure to adhere to corporate policy, be courteous to people. I can’t, shouldn’t, yell at them or demean them or anything like that. Whereas I used to say “You’re fat. Get off my stage,” now I can only say “I think you need to lose a few pounds.”

You were a dancer in Las Vegas’ most colorful period. Do you have any regrets?

I was strictly focused on business. I was also married or about to be married or something. I didn’t go with the fast track. I didn’t run with the mob at all. I minded my own business.

What do you feel about the new Las Vegas?

I don’t like it. They’re advertising too much sex, all over the place. Vegas wasn’t like that. Even though there has always been prostitution and call girls, it was not thrown in your face as it has been in the last few years. If Vegas wants to come back, it’s going to have to calm down. It’s gotten way out of hand.

What keeps you going?

I love my job. I love the work. I think about stopping sometimes. I think about it, but I just keep going. Being around young people all the time renews my spirit, even with all the problems that they give me sometimes. It’s a challenge every night, every show.

Do you have interests outside the show?

Not anymore. I used to garden a lot, now I hire somebody to do it and I oversee them. I hardly ever watch television. When I go home at night I very seldom turn it on. I’m surrounded by sound and noise all the time. When I go home I open my sliding glass door go out into the back yard where I have a big fish pond and waterfall and I sit and calm down.

40th Anniversary of Elvis Presley's Comeback in Las Vegas

July 26, 2009

Last week it was the 40th anniversary of the Moon Landing we celebrated. This Thursday, it will be the 40th anniversary of Elvis Presley's comeback at the International Hotel (now the Las Vegas Hilton). Send us your Elvis memories and we'll post them as part of our tribute to the King on Thursday.

In the meantime, our pal Mike Weatherford writes:

In a few weeks, everyone will be remembering Elvis Presley on the day he died, Aug. 16. On Thursday, Las Vegas should pay more attention to the day he was reborn, one that changed things around here for keeps.

Thursday is the 40th anniversary of Elvis' debut at the International Hotel, now the Las Vegas Hilton. If you take Elvis seriously, cue up "Suspicious Minds." If you goof on him, make yourself a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Just don't ignore it.

At the time, the Elvis comeback took a back seat to the lingering euphoria over the moon landing. But this giant step for Vegas-kind still echoes all around town, from wedding chapels to the next big Cirque du Soleil, due at CityCenter in December.

Ken Sharp, a Los Angeles writer and producer, first called me a year and a half ago for contacts on a book about Presley's live comeback in Las Vegas. Last week, he was excited to have received his first copy of "Elvis '69," which has its formal release during "Elvis week" at Graceland next month.

"This was a guy who was able to come home again," Sharp says. And not just because Presley was treated like an oddity during an ill-advised New Frontier showroom run in 1956.

In the bigger picture, Presley had shaken the diminished returns of his movie career with his 1968 comeback TV special. In the recording studio, he regained his credibility with hits such as "If I Can Dream" and "In The Ghetto."

The last component was to sing again in front of a ticket-buying audience. When the curtain went up at the International, "He looked great, was in great shape, energized and confident," Sharp says.

Well, maybe not as confident as he looked. Comedian Sammy Shore was the opening act, and he distinctly remembers a clammy palm when he shook hands with the star backstage.

Elvis won't be back in the building, but Shore -- a Summerlin resident and father of comedian Pauly -- will be at the Hilton on Thursday as part of a fan gathering.

Shore's book, "The Man Who Made Elvis Laugh," generates "e-mails from all around the world," he says. Still, when reminded it has been 40 years, he's a little surprised. "That's amazing."

Cirque is giving the Beatles "Love" treatment to the King with its still untitled Elvis show set for Aria. Cirque's Web site now carries three short promotional videos, revealing it will be the company's first with "acting moments" spoken in English.

In a video clip, director Vincent Paterson notes that after staging tours for Madonna and Michael Jackson, "It seems sort of appropriate that Elvis is next in line."

He says that as though Elvis is still alive. And in Las Vegas, that's probably the way it should be.